Leg garments are coverings for legs. One type of a leg garment is a pair of chaps. Chaps are often comprised of sturdy leather, and are a leg covering usually worn over a wearer's trousers. Unlike trousers, however, chaps are often not joined at the crotch. They are typically worn to protect the legs and undergarments of a wearer when riding a horse or a motorcycle and to protect the wearer's legs from scraping in the event of a fall or if the legs strike an object while riding. Keeping dust and dirt off of undergarments is another consideration for wearing chaps. Chaps may also be worn as an additional layer for warmth.
Each leg of motorcycle chaps may be cut from a single piece of leather, the leather cut narrowly to fit snugly on the wearer. Motorcycle chaps may completely encircle the leg. Chaps may be a pull-on garment, with each leg attached to a waistband, or the chaps may have zippers or other fastening systems on the leg. For example, chaps may have full-length zippers running along the leg from the upper thigh to the ankles.
Wearing chaps over a pair of trousers may create discomfort, be highly inconvenient at times, and are considered unstylish by many wearers. For example, in warmer climates and temperatures, wearing chaps over a separate pair of trousers such as jeans may create an extremely uncomfortable temperature level. Likewise, wearing chaps are quite often bulky, and the bulkiness may limit movement of the wearer both on and off a motorcycle or horse. Chaps may also create uneasiness and inconvenience in undressing when using bathroom facilities or otherwise.
Some of these problems are created by the wearer of chaps having an amount of material in the abdominal region which is double the typical amount of material in the abdominal area when wearing a single pair of trousers. Some of the problems are also created by an increase of material on the legs as well. Although most chaps do not have material in the crotch region, the legs of chaps often are connected through material in the abdominal region. This abdominal connection may create much of the inconvenience that wearers of chaps, particularly women, experience.